Pieces of Freindship
by Courtnylovesramen
Summary: Sora worries his and Riku's relationship hasn't changed for the better


Pieces of Friendship

A kiss.

How is it that something as simple and good-natured as a kiss could be powerful enough to tear tow best friends apart? How is it that through an expression of affection a person can go from loving you to hating you in an instant? It just wasn't fair.

These were Sora's thoughts as he sat in the Hollow Bastion library, Donald and Goofy sleeping beside him. He stared out of the window, thinking of… well, everything. His home. His life. His friends…

Digging in his pocket, he pulled out Kairi's favorite thalissa shell; the red one. He turned it over in his hands, watching the moonlight glide over it, wondering if she was okay. The last time he saw her was on Hook's ship, when Riku said he'd take care of her. Take care of her…

Sighing deeply, Sora slowly stood up, being careful not to wake Donald (who's been leaning up against him). He walked over to the desk sitting underneath the stairs, feeling that he just couldn't sit against the bookshelves any longer, not with the moon shining on him like that.

"The moon's such an honest thing," he mumbled as he sat on the chair pulled out for the desk.

That's what Riku had told him.

On a night when the moon was blood red, on what Sora feared was their last night as friends.

"Why'd you say that?" Sora had asked the older boy as he felt the ocean waves lap against his feet and legs. "Well," Riku answered, "it's light shines over everything. Nothing can escape it. When something's covered in moonlight… well, it just looks vulnerable. Or something like that."

Sora turned to look at Riku, who, like him, was sitting at the edge of the beach, staring out at the infinite ocean before them. The moon's light was red, and it bathed the entire island in its light. Sora realized, as he gazed upon his friend, how mature he looked then. He sat up staring ahead of him, an unreadable expression on his face. It was then, more than any other time, that Sora truly and deeply longed to be him.

Riku, noticing Sora's eyes upon him, turned his head to face him. "What? Did that sound stupid?"

"No," Sora said quickly, turning away. "I was just thinking…"

'Thinking what? How much I admire him?'

"…Thinking that it's a shame Kairi's not here to see this. That's all."

A lie.

Riku mumbled something indistinguishable as Sora felt his cheeks flush in shame.

"Do you like her?"

"Kairi?"

"Yeah."

"Well sure I do. She's my friend. No different from you."

This time Riku turned to look at Sora. Sora pretended not to notice and counted the number of thalissa shells that had washed ashore.

"You know what I meant. Do you like her?"

'Why do you care?' Sora thought desperately as his gaze fell to his knees, which were wet with water.

"What? Too embarrassed to answer?"

"No!"

"Then answer me!"

Riku's voice had a dangerous edge to it, telling Sora he'd better just answer.

"Well… no. Not really. I mean, she's my friend. No different from you."

Riku continued to gaze at him a little while longer before laughing quietly to himself and looking forward again.

"So, in your eyes, me and Kairi are one in the same? No differences?"

Sora's breathing, by then, had escalated. He was confused. Was Riku trying to tell him something? Or was he just reading too much into things? There was an awkward silence before Riku said, "I can't compare to you, Sora." When Sora had asked why, Riku grinned as if it were something obvious. "Why? Well, because in my eyes you and Kairi are nowhere near the same."

Sora frowned. What was that supposed to mean? Did Riku like Kairi? Or was he just trying to make him feel like an idiot by saying weird things? Sora turned to face Riku so he could ask him what exactly he meant – when he felt the other boy's hand on his cheek, pulling him slightly closer. "Wha—Riku, what're you--?"

Before Sora could even finish his sentence, Riku closed the small gap between them and kissed him. It was brief; something that lasted no longer that a second. Even though it was only a brief contact, the mere brushing of their lips together was enough to deprive the air from Sora's lungs.

Riku began to slowly caress the younger boy's cheek, smirking slightly. "What's… so funny?" Sora muttered as he felt his face flush once more. "I was sure you'd pull away," Riku answered as he kissed him again. Sora felt himself grow limp as Riku pressed against him, sliding his tongue in his mouth. Sooner that not they were laying in the sand, Riku pinning Sora to the ground. He could feel Riku's body shifting above him, and knew their relationship would never be the same.

Which brought Sora to where he was now. In the previous day Riku had stolen the Keyblade, only to have it taken back by Sora. At first, Sora couldn't understand Riku's irrational behavior towards him. After all, weren't they…?

'He probably thinks I've just replaced him with Donald and Goofy,' Sora thought as the first daylight crept in through the library windows. It was a stupid way to think (seeing as how Sora was so happy when he found Riku in Traverse Town), but Riku was a rather possessive person. Riku was the kind of person who thought that Sora was defenseless without him, which might've been true if he'd never become the Keyblade master.

'Maybe he feels like I don't need him anymore,' Sora thought.

Which wasn't true. It didn't matter if he never did meet Donald or Goofy, or even became the Keyblade master, Sora would always need Riku. Without Riku he felt… empty. Like a piece of him was missing.

Sure, Kairi was a very, very important person to him, but what he felt for Riku was different. 'If only that idiot would figure it out…'

Sora stood up quietly—Donald and Goofy were still sleeping. He figured he might as well go talk to Leon or Yuffie about what had to be done today. He couldn't dwell on Riku, no matter how the situation made him feel. At least he was okay, right?

Plus, there was still one friend missing. And she wasn't okay. 'No matter what, I gotta save Kairi,' he resolved. Even if he and Riku did manage to get back to their island, it wouldn't be the same if Kairi wasn't there. 'I say this now,' he thought, 'but it really won't be that simple.'

Nothing ever really was.

If there was a way to somehow retrieve Riku from the darkness he'd sunk into , he would do it. Or he would die trying. If there was a way to somehow piece Kairi back together so he could finally tell her all the things he'd wanted to tell her—about Riku, about everything—he would.

'But nothing's that simple…'

He ascended the steps to the top floor of the library, where Leon and Yuffie were hunched over and Ansem report, muttering fiercely to themselves. Seeing them, Sora though that, just maybe, he could take the scattered pieces of friendship and put them back together. Maybe some things were that simple.


End file.
